Stocking Question - Tank Capacity Or Surface Area Or Length

[jonbrown]

Hi guys and gals I'm new to the hobby and after doing numerous bits of research I'm ready to start stocking my tank. However I'm getting confused, various websites and books say that you can stock a tank by it's water capacity, surface area or simply on how long it is.
 
I've got a fluval profile 1000 which has a capcity of 275 litres, and measures 100cm by 50cm by 55cm roughly which gives me two quite different answers for what I can potentially put in it.
 
I've done my fishless cycle and it's currently got 5 rummy nose tetras and an bristlenose.
 
I liked the idea of getting some Angels as the tank is nice and deep which I thought would suite their profile, however I also like tiger barbs and a number of the dwarf Cichlids as you can see the list its pretty long so any suggestions are more than welcome:
 
Tiger Barb
Scissor Tail
Rummy Nose Tetra
Cardinal Tetra
Flag Cichlid
Keyhole Cichlid
Agassiz Dwarf Cichlid
Viejita Dwarf Cichlid
Cockatoo Cichlid
Ram
Kribensis
Angel Fish
Glass Catfish
Whiptail Catfish
Red Tail Black Shark
Zebra Loach
Clown Loach
Black Widow Tetra
Pearl Gourami
Blue Gourami
 
My girlfriend also likes the idea of a knifefish which I know nothing about, and shrimps. I guess the later would be a tasty snack for a number of the fish on the list.

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Nice tank!!!
 
Stocking is generally based on tank capacity, though if you have say a 20 gallon tall, you can't have as many fish as you can swith say a 20 gallon long. So its both tank capacity and surface area, but then its also tank length because some fish can't go in short tanks. For example, Danios need a four foot tank.
 
Your stock list....

• Clown Loaches are a big no no, they need a tank of at least 100 gallons, yours is only 72 gallons.
• Knife fish aren't suitable, they need a tank of at least 130 gallons.
• Redtail Black Sharks become aggressive as they age, they should only be in semi aggressive-aggressive tanks.
• Tiger Barbs are really bad fin nippers, unless they are kept in large schools. But, even then they still might be nippy.
• Your Rummynose Tetras would be a lot happier in a bigger school. (8+)
• Cardinal Tetras are fine. Just make sure it is in a largesh school (8+)
• Scissortail - Rasbora? Should be fine. Just make sure it is in a largish school (8+)
• Flag Cichlid, no idea, sorry,
• Keyhole Cichlid should be fine.
• Agassiz Cichlid should be fine
• Viejita Dwarf Cichlid should be fine.
• Cockatoo Cichlid should be fine.
• Which type of Ram do you like? Most will be fine.
• Kribensis should be fine.
• Angel fish should be fine. Just watch for nippy fish and make sure none of the fish are the right size to be eaten,
• Glass catfish could be fine. They are really shy though so make sure they are in a big school and have lots of hiding places.
• Whiptail Catfish should be fine.
• Zebra Loach should be fine.
• Black Widow Tetras can be a bit nippy sometimes, they are best kept in a large school (12+)
• Pearl Gourami should be fine.
• Blue Gourami should be fine.

 
Yes, you are correct. Shrimps would be a tasty treat for a lot of the fish.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

A single African Knife Fish (Xenomystus nigri) could live in a tank with these dimensions for life, however, they are predatory and as it approaches typical hobby adult size of ~15cm it will see small streamlined fish like your Rummynose Tetras as "live lunch."
 
Like a lot of "African oddball" fish, X. nigri will not do well in a tank containing hyperactive or greedy feeding fish. Your 100x50x55cm could do a stocking such as...
2/3x African Butterfly Fish
3x Leopard Bushfish
1X Xenomystus nigri
10x Yellow Tail Congo Tetras (with max. 3 males, tank is too short for Congo Tetras IMO) or similar deep bodied characin
10x Synodontis nigriventris
2x Kribensis (don't count on any fry surviving)

 

[jonbrown]

Cheers for the replies, I have thought of getting some more rummy nose tetras, to boost the numbers up to probably ten. Was waiting to see how things went for a week as they are the first fish along with a Bristlenose that I have put in the tank.
 
Probably should have mentioned I have been considering something like the following
 
2 Black Angels
10 Rummy Nose
10 Cardinals
3 Rams - 1 male and 2 females (not sure which ones - Bolivian or German Blue I think?)
2 Bristlenose - male and female
6 Glass catfish
2 Dwarf Gourami
 
 
Must admit I do like the idea of an african oddball tank and is something I would never have thought about doing, perhaps one for the future that!

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Cheers for the replies, I have thought of getting some more rummy nose tetras, to boost the numbers up to probably ten. Was waiting to see how things went for a week as they are the first fish along with a Bristlenose that I have put in the tank.
 
Probably should have mentioned I have been considering something like the following
 
2 Black Angels
10 Rummy Nose
10 Cardinals
3 Rams - 1 male and 2 females (not sure which ones - Bolivian or German Blue I think?)
2 Bristlenose - male and female
6 Glass catfish
2 Dwarf Gourami
 
 
Must admit I do like the idea of an african oddball tank and is something I would never have thought about doing, perhaps one for the future that!

Which "Glass Catfish" species do you mean?
 
Many, if not all, need much bigger groups than 6. In small numbers they rarely settle and tend to stop feeding, pine and die. I personally would not mix them with fiesty Dwarf Gourami or overwhelmingly large Angelfish, I consider them too fragile and skittish.
 
I have 20 Pareutropius mandevillei, the smallest member of the "debauwi catfish" complex, that max out at 5cm SL (plus tail, I'd say a few of my 1 year old specimens are ~4cm SL). They are the main midwater group in a ~280l 4-footer, with 5 Phenacogrammus nigropterus and 7 Fundulopanchax nigerianus "Innidere" as (reassuring) company.
 
German Rams are far harder to cater for than Bolivian, the latter of which are happy at "mainstream tropical" temps of ~24C and tolerate a much wider range of water hardness.

 

[jonbrown]

The local aquatic store has the Kryptopterus minor which they said will grow to around 3" when fully grown and recommended a minimum of 6, must admit I didin't mention about having a gourami.
 
From what my parents have said when they kept tropicals 20+ years ago they are amased at how much has changed, not just with equipment but what fish to put with what, sizes, tank requirements etc etc. Which I think is where I'm finding it equally difficult to work out what to put in the aquarium as books, internet advice and shops all seem to say slightly different things. Guess that comes from personal experiance.

 

[wrightt3]

I'd avoid mixing cardinals and angels. They are pretty much the same size as a neon so a fully grown angel would have no problem consuming them. I'd replace them with hatchets to add activity to the surface of the tank.
 
Do consider n0body of the goats idea of an African tank. That would be a great set up!

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Here is a bit of fish news from earlier this year... Kryptopterus minor has not been in the hobby for years if ever, the species we have been calling K. minor is another species named Kryptopterus vitreolus.
 
http/www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=16
 
How hard is your water? This will have a large bearing on what will do well in your tanks using tap water, for instance I avoid fish that do far better in soft water, the UK south coast towards London gets moderately hard water (gH 13/14) with quite high nitrate levels (40ppm).
 
If you have soft water, then a stocking such as...
8x Lamb Chop Rasbora
12x K. vitreolus
8x Rummynose Tetra (same species of the 3 or so types)
12x "Kuhli Loach" (often Pangio semicincta)
 
would combine a group of small, gentle fish, with a few different colours. 

 

[jonbrown]

Thanks for the reply, the forum is full of great advice.
 
I have to be honest and say I haven't tested the hardness of my water, but living in Norfolk know that it is reasonably hard. I know my tap water has only a small trace if any nitrate.
 
I have queried about the hardness of water with the local aquatic store and he said that all the fish supplied to him are bred locally and therefore acclimatised to the local tap water. How true this is I don't know and how much a fish acclimatises to the water conditions I equally I have no idea.
 
I think the trouble is I had my mind set on getting angel fish, as I along with my girlfriend and parents thought the tank would be ok and therefore planted it accordingly. We thought the tank would be big enough to house 5 or six angels plus some smaller shoaling fish, but not too small to make them live food. From lots of research and comments it's seeming that the tank is only really suitable for a fully grown pair and some shoaling fish, which is now making me think of a different stocking list.
 
If as may be the case I do have harder water what would be a stocking suggestion? I've got the following plants, which I think are all South American in origin; Vallisneria Spiralis, Alternanthera cardinalis, Echinodorus bleheri, a couple of Pogostemon helferi and Cabomba, which with the exception of the Alternanthera which seems to be attracting algae are all growing nicely.
 
I do like the idea of the African tank you suggested, but sourcing some of the fish may not be easy in the local area and the mix with south american plants makes me wonder if it will look ok or not?!